The California Highway Patrol is reviewing complaints that Hemet Unified School District may have allowed school bus drivers to work beyond state safety limits, raising concerns among employees that fatigue could put students and drivers at risk.
Two complaints submitted to the CHP’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit on March 28 and April 18 accuse the district’s transportation department of repeatedly violating California rules that restrict how long school bus drivers may remain on duty. The complaints were filed by whistleblowers who said the information came from the district’s electronic timekeeping records.
The April 18 complaint described the alleged violations as broad and recurring, suggesting a systemic problem rather than isolated scheduling mistakes.
According to the March 28 complaint, more than 40 drivers allegedly exceeded state work-hour limits hundreds of times between July 2025 and March 2026. The complaint cited 247 primary violations, including 227 instances in which drivers worked between 80 and 85 hours during an eight-day period, surpassing the 80-hour cap. It also alleged 19 instances in which drivers topped 90 hours in eight days, along with 20 cases in which drivers exceeded the 16-hour daily on-duty limit.
The April 18 complaint alleged that at least 16 drivers worked more than 16 hours in a single day between January and April. It also cited more than 100 instances from Jan. 5 through April 17 in which drivers worked more than 80 hours in a rolling eight-day period, including nine employees who allegedly exceeded 90 hours.
The complaint warned that driver fatigue is a major factor in commercial vehicle crashes and argued that the state’s limits for pupil transportation exist to prevent dangerous conditions. If the district’s own records are accurate, the complaint said, Hemet Unified could be operating in a way that is unlawful and unsafe.
The complaint also said its purpose was not to determine fault, but to bring attention to the issue, encourage accountability and prevent a serious crash or fatality linked to fatigue or poor dispatching practices.
CHP Sgt. Omar Morales of the agency’s Border Division said Thursday that the investigation began in mid-April and is being handled jointly by motor carrier safety units from the CHP’s Border and Inland divisions. Morales declined to discuss details but said the review is expected to be completed within the next couple of months.
One employee who helped report the allegations, and who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more than six employees decided to contact the CHP and news media after they believed their concerns to a transportation manager and a district administrator were ignored.
The employee said compliance with work-hour rules is treated as a fundamental safety requirement in commercial driving. The employee cited California Vehicle Code Section 21702 and Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations Section 1212, which together limit school bus drivers to 10 hours of driving in a day, bar them from remaining on duty more than 16 hours after starting work and prohibit driving after 80 on-duty hours in any eight consecutive days.
District spokesperson Brenda Aguirre-Hassan said the claim that employees had previously reported the concerns to district officials had not been verified. She said Hemet Unified had not received any formal complaints directly tied to the allegations before the CHP matter.
Aguirre-Hassan said the district is reviewing personnel-related issues connected to the CHP investigation.
She said Hemet Unified follows extensive safety procedures that are designed to meet all laws and regulations governing student transportation. The district, she said, provides recurring training to employees on compliance and safe operations.
To check driver hours, Aguirre-Hassan said the district relies on digital timekeeping and manual logs, as required by law. Those records are reviewed internally by the transportation department and may be examined by the CHP during both scheduled and unannounced terminal inspections.
The district is also considering improvements to its auditing software that would provide real-time warnings when drivers approach hours-of-service limits, Aguirre-Hassan said.
Before the current investigation, she said, Hemet Unified had consistently received “satisfactory” ratings — the highest CHP inspection rating available. Aguirre-Hassan said student safety remains the district’s top priority and that Hemet Unified is committed to transparency, accountability and continued compliance.
Hemet Unified’s transportation department became a regional hub in 2014 under former Transportation Manager Michael Fogerty. With one of the largest school bus fleets in Southern California, the district began providing transportation services to about 20 nearby districts and agencies, bringing in millions of dollars in outside revenue.
District officials have said those interagency contracts help cover operating expenses, support bus fleet upgrades and keep transportation services financially self-sustaining.
Hemet Unified did not provide a complete list of districts and agencies for which it operates bus service. The April 18 complaint, however, said the district serves Perris Union High School District, Perris Elementary, Nuview Union Elementary, Romoland, San Jacinto Unified and Val Verde Unified, among others.
The complaint alleged that the volume of outside transportation work brings in millions of dollars and that some employees believe safety is being compromised to meet contract demands. Aguirre-Hassan said Hemet Unified currently employs 239 professional school bus drivers.
The April 18 complaint also raised concerns about leadership turnover in the transportation department, stating that two executive directors, three transportation managers and one coordinator have left in recent years.
According to the complaint, some employees believe newer managers lack sufficient knowledge of pupil transportation law and have given operational direction that may conflict with legal requirements.
The employee who spoke anonymously said that since Fogerty retired about five years ago, the transportation operation has experienced management problems and communication breakdowns.
The employee said staff members are frustrated because they believe district leadership does not fully understand the legal obligations involved in running the transportation department.
The April 18 complaint specifically questioned the appointment of Jeff Keeney, the former principal of Valle Vista Elementary School, as executive director of transportation, alleging that the district emphasized leadership style over transportation and regulatory experience. The complaint further alleged that several managers are new to their positions and appear unfamiliar with applicable pupil transportation laws and rules.
